Resistance bands are a versatile and effective tool for chest training. Incorporating exercises like chest presses, flyes, and push-ups with resistance bands can help strengthen and tone your pectoral muscles. They also provide constant tension throughout the movement, maximizing muscle engagement for optimal results.
Maximizing size and strength in the chest with free weights (namely barbells and dumbbells) requires multiple benches – a flat bench and an incline bench at the very least, and possibly a decline bench. If you have a gym membership, that’s no problem. But many people who train at home don’t have the space or budget for even an adjustable bench, let alone an entire rack of dumbbells and a barbell bench press station.
Resistance bands solve this problem, particularly when it comes to training the chest (pectoralis muscles). Bands, like cables, don’t require you to move the resistance against gravity, so there’s no need to lie down at varying angles (flat, incline, decline) to do press or flye movements; all you have to do is use different anchor points and select a path of motion that trains the area of the pecs you want you to target (ie, an upward angle to mimic an incline press, straight out in front to mimic a flat-bench press, etc.).
That’s right, you can get a complete chest workout with bands and stay on your feet the entire time – no bench required. The practical benefit of this is that you can do it at home with nothing more than a set of resistance bands and anchor points around the house (a door, a post or pillar, a bed frame, etc). The added performance benefit is this: Doing a press or flye exercise while standing forces you to engage the core muscles to a greater degree in order to keep your body stable and upright. So, with virtually every band chest exercise you’re working both the pecs and core, plus other assisting muscle groups like the shoulders and triceps, which are involved in pressing exercises in a secondary role.
All of this is to say that bands are a great piece of equipment for training the chest for both muscle size and strength – as well as power development due to the linear variable resistance of resistance bands, where the resistance increases the more the band is stretched.
Below, you’ll find a variety of great band exercises for the chest that incorporate both press and flye movements and target the pecs from multiple angles – just like you’d do at the gym with various benches (flat, incline, and decline) when training with free weights. Following that is a sample at-home chest workout to build strength and size.
Secure the band either around an immobile object or use a door attachment at mid-height (around shoulder height),and face away from the anchor. Make sure that both lengths of the band on either side are equal. Place both feet either shoulder width apart or stagger step, take the bands and press out and up in front of the chest with both arms and bring the band handles together, squeezing the pecs as you press out then return to the start and repeat until you complete the set.
Band Standing Incline Press
Securing the band around an immobile object (or use a door attachment), face away from the door. Make sure that both lengths of the band on either side are equal. Place both feet either shoulder width apart or stagger step, take the bands and press out and up in front of the chest with both arms and bring the band handles together squeezing the Pecs as you press out then return to the start and repeat until you complete the set.
Band Standing Decline Press
Anchor the band to a high point (just above head level) and face away from the anchor. Make sure that both lengths of the band on either side are equal. Place your feet either shoulder-width apart or staggered. Start with your arms bent and your hands just outside your shoulders. To initiate the movement, press your hands out in front of you and at a downward angle so that the handles are out in front of your lower chest (or slightly below that) in the arms-extended position. At this finish point, your hands should be together. Squeeze your pecs hard for a count here, then return to the start position.
Band Reverse-Grip Chest Press
Anchor the band to an immobile object (or use a door attachment) at floor level and face away from the anchor. Make sure that both lengths of the band on either side are equal and place your feet either shoulder width apart or stagger step. Grab the handles of the bands, turn your palms up to they face the ceiling (and maintain this reverse grip throughout) and press out in front of the chest with both arms. Bring the handles together, squeezing the pecs as you press out. Return to the start and repeat until you complete the set.
Band One-Arm Flye
Anchor the band at shoulder height. Grab the handle in one hand, and position your body so that the anchor point is directly off to your working side. Step away from the anchor point to create tension, and start with your working arm extended directly out to the side, elbow slightly bent. (Keep your off hand on your hip.) Contract your pecs to pull the handle in front of your chest (a basic flye motion), keeping only a slight bend in the elbow throughout. Slowly return to the start position, repeat for reps, then do reps on the other side.
Band One-Arm Incline Flye
Anchor the band at floor level. Grab the handle in one hand, and position your body so that the anchor point is directly off to your working side. Step away from the anchor point to create tension, and start with your working arm extended toward the anchor point (down and to the side), elbow slightly bent. (Keep your off hand on your hip.) Contract your pecs to pull the handle up in front of your upper chest, keeping only a slight bend in the elbow throughout. Slowly return to the start position, repeat for reps, then do reps on the other side.
Barbell Bench Press with Bands
Place the band securely under the bench and secure each barbell cuff onto either side of the barbell. Lying securely on the bench with both feet on the ground, grab the bar with both hands wider than shoulder-width apart, and take the bar off the rack. Keeping your stomach tight, lower the bar down to the chest just below the bust line. Press up hard and smooth to the top of the exercise, making sure to breath out as you press up.
This workout can be performed once or twice a week, either on its own or in the same routine as other muscle groups. Appropriate body parts to pair in a workout with the chest include shoulders and triceps because both of these are involved in pressing exercises for the chest; however, chest and back are a good workout pairing as well because they perform exact opposite motions and can be done as supersets (two exercises for opposing muscle groups performed back-to-back without resting).
Exercise Sets Reps
Band Standing Chest Press 4 8-10
Band Standing Incline Press 3 10-12
Band One-Arm Flye 3 15
Band One-Arm Incline Flye 2 20
Rest 1-2 minutes between all sets.
For one-arm exercises, do the prescribed reps on each side.
For every other workout, switch out at least one exercise with a different movement; for example, do the band standing decline press in place of the band standing chest press or incline press.
For advanced individuals who want added intensity: Do one drop set at the end of the last set on both band standing chest press and incline press, and one rest-pause on the last set of band one-arm flye and band one-arm incline flye. To do drop sets, either move closer to the anchor point, move your hands on the band to reduce tension, or quickly switch to a lighter band to decrease the resistance – whichever you prefer and is more applicable to the exercise.
To add intensity and a cardiovascular component to this workout, do cardioacceleration between all sets.
Barbell bench press with bands is an exercise that requires a bench press station with a bench, barbell, and rack. For most people, this will need to be done at a gym.
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